More charges may be filed in HP spying case

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But in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” to be broadcast Sunday, Dunn defended the investigation of directors and members of the media.

“Investigations, by their nature, are intrusive,” Dunn said, according to excerpts released by the network Thursday. “If you think that Hewlett-Packard is the only company that has an investigations force — which by the way, is peopled mostly with former law enforcement officers that do all kinds of private detective work, monitoring, posing as other people in order to solve problems to protect shareholder value — you’re being naive.”

Hunsaker’s lead lawyer, Michael Pancer, reiterated Thursday that his client had been assured of the legality of the tactics and was fired from HP when he refused to resign.

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“At no time did he — or would he — ever authorize or engage in any activity that he thought was illegal,” Pancer said in a statement.

The telephone rang unanswered Thursday morning at DePante’s office in Melbourne, Fla. No listed home number for him could be located. Wagner did not immediately return a call.

DeLia had previously asserted his innocence but has declined to elaborate or take questions.

After the charges were filed, HP issued a statement that it is cooperating with Lockyer as well as federal authorities who are also exploring possible criminal charges. The Palo Alto-based company declined further comment.

In all, the personal data of more than 24 people were compromised, including one instance in January when an investigator changed the password for a reporter’s cell phone and viewed her call log for nine minutes, according to the criminal complaint.

Dunn, who was infuriated by a leak about a private board retreat, ordered the investigation but said she didn’t know the detectives used such extreme measures. She resigned from the board last month.

Hunsaker oversaw the probe, and left the company on Sept. 26.

DeLia runs a Boston-area detective firm called Security Outsourcing Solutions, a longtime HP contractor commissioned to conduct the leak probe.

DeLia in turn hired DePante’s company to gather information, and Wagner was hired to obtain the private phone records. According to the complaint, Wagner acknowledged destroying the computer linking him to the HP probe “because it had incriminating evidence on it and he would not assist in locating it.”

Pretexting will become a criminal offense in California when a new law signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger takes effect Jan. 1. Violators will be punished by $2,500 in fines and up to a year in jail, though the law will not retroactively apply to the HP investigation.

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